The present invention relates to an improved drain device for oil pans, and more particularly, to a remotely operated improved device for draining or removing oil from the oil pan of an engine in an automobile or similar vehicle.
In the past, a commonly used method of draining or removing oil from an engine oil pan involved the unscrewing or pulling out a blocking plug from the oil drain outlet of the oil pan. Another commonly used method of draining or removing oil from an engine oil pan included the insertion of an end of a hose into the oil pan through the oil inlet port of the pan and attaching the other end of the hose to a pump that is then used to pump the oil from within the oil pan. However, while these commonly used methods generally accomplish their intended purpose, they do have disadvantages. With respect to the "plug pulling out method", it is necessary for the person draining the oil either to jack up the vehicle or to crawl under the vehicular body in order to be able to unscrew or pull out the blocking plug. With respect to the "pumping method", it is frequently difficult to completely remove all the dirt and sludge accumulated in the bottom of the oil pan. Moreover, both of the aforementioned commonly used methods are accompanied by considerable difficulty and aggravation, and as a result, the oil draining operation is a time consuming and frequently dirty job.
A primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved oil draining device which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages, which permits facile removal or drainage of the oil from vehicular oil pans, which may be quickly and easily mounted in the oil drain outlet of a conventional oil pan by replacing only a few parts and without modification of the oil pan or its drain outlet and which may be used with and mounted in various sized oil drain outlets without difficulty. According to my present invention, the above object may be achieved by the utilization of an improved oil removal device that comprises a tubular adapter having an externally threaded end adapted to be screwed into the oil drain outlet of an engine oil pan. The main valve body of the improved oil drain device comprises a generally L-shaped tubular body having integral vertically and horizontally disposed tube sections. The vertical tubular section of the L-shaped valve body is connected with the other end of the tubular adapter which, as noted above, is threadedly connected with the oil drain outlet of the engine oil pan. An outlet is provided in the wall of the horizontal tube section of the L-shaped valve body and is downwardly directed so as to form a tap. The interior of the tubular adapter and vertical and horizontal tube sections define a flow path for the flow of oil from the oil pan to the outlet or tap. A cylindrical valve is slidably mounted in the horizontal tube section of the L-shaped valve. This valve is normally spring biased to a first position which blocks or closes the flow path of the oil from the oil pan to the outlet or tap. By the actuation of a handle or knob mounted on the dashboard of the vehicle and connected with the valve by means of a flexible cable, the cylindrical valve may be moved from the closed position to second or open position wherein oil may flow through flow path from the oil pan to the outlet or tap.
These and other objects and advantages of my present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of my invention.